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Chapter 7
Before You Read
Who were the Mirabal sisters? Skim the following article for the answer to this question.
Women who were assassinated for their dedication to the resistance movement
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Read
Separate the following words into smaller words or affixes (prefixes or suffixes). Then, use the clues to make up a working definition, a definition that is helpful but not perfectly written.
1- dictatorship
The suffix -ship talks about the quality, state, or form of something. A dictator is an absolute ruler who usually takes his position by force. A dictatorship is __.
a form of government by an absolute ruler
2- unheard of
The prefix un- means "not." The verb hear not only means "listen" but also "to be told of or informed of." So unheard of means __.
not known about beforehand
3- extraordinary
The prefix extra- means "outside" or "more than the usual." So extraordinary means __.
beyond the ordinary; unusual
4- injustice
Sometimes the prefix in- means "the opposite of" or "lacking." Injustice is __.
lack of justice; unfairness
5- resistance
The suffix -ance is used to form words that refer to an action or a series of actions. If resist means "to fight against something," then resistance is __.
the action of fighting against something
6- incarcerated
In Latin, the root carcer means "prison," so incarcerated means __.
put in prison
7- roadblock
If you block something, you stop it from moving or happening. Therefore a roadblock is probably used to __.
stop traffic
8- imprisonment
The prefix im- is a variation of the prefix in-meaning "in." The suffix -ment refers to an action, a process, or its result. Imprisonment probably means __.
the process of putting someone in prison
9- enrage
Rage is anger, and the prefix en- can mean "to become" or "to cause," so enrage means __.
to cause to become angry
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After You Read 1
Find the words in the article that are close in meaning to the italicized word or phrase.
1- Minerva, Mar?a Teresa, and Patria would visit their husbands in prison. (paragraph A)
jail
2 - The Mirabal family was quite wealthy. (paragraph B)
well-to-do
3 - The dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo was known for his cruelty. (paragraph B)
ruthlessness
4 - Minerva was known for her eye-catching beauty. (paragraph C)
stunning
5 - The Butterflies, their husbands, and their companions collected arms in order to fight the dictatorship. (paragraph D)
comrades
6 - Before they could devise a plan to defeat Trujillo, they were found out. (paragraph D)
design
7 - Minerva refused Trujillo's advances. (paragraph E)
rejected
8 - The Butterflies' fight was not unsuccessful. (paragraph F)
in vain
9 - Many consider the Mirabal sisters were people killed for their political beliefs. (paragraph F)
martyrs
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After You Read 2
Write specific facts to support the following statements about the reading.
1- Rafael Leonidas Trujillo was a cruel dictator.
Ans : He had the Mirabal sisters brutally murdered. Tortures were common under his regime, and political freedom was unheard-of. He punished those whom he thought were out to get him. He jailed and tortured Enrique Mirabal and harassed Minerva by not allowing her to practice law.
2- Minerva was the most active in the resistance of the three sisters.
Ans : She was the first to become involved in 1949, and she helped found the 14 of June group. She also joined the Partido Socialista Popular at a young age.
3- The sisters' passion to overthrow Trufillo was not only intellectual.
Ans : The sisters were angry over the treatment of their father and blamed Trujillo for his death. The also resented his treatment of themselves and the rest of their family and friends.
4- The Mirabal sisters' death was not in vain.
Ans : Anger over their death helped fuel the resistance movement that killed Trujillo a year later.
5- The Mirabal sisters are legends.
Ans : They are remembered in numerous poems, songs, and works of fiction and non-fiction, including Julia Alvarez's 1994 best-selling novel In the Time of the Butterflies and the 2001 movie of the same title.
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